Chicago Deep Dish Pizza
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott/Not Quite Nigella
Makes one 9inch/22.5cm deep dish pizza
Preparation time:
Cooking time:
- 1 1/4 cup bread flour
- 1/2 cup cup cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon active dried yeast
- 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan
- 3/4 cup lukewarm water
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup cornmeal (coarse grain) to roll
For filling
- 900g/1.9lbs tomatoes (fresh or 825g/29oz. tinned)
- Oil for frying plus extra for brushing
- 2 large onions
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1/4 cup red or white wine
- 1-2 tablespoons sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese
- 200g/7ozs. pepperoni, sliced, divided into two
Optional: you can add crumbled truffle Italian pork sausage or mushrooms (add in step 3)
Step 1 - Mix the flour, cornmeal, sugar, yeast and parmesan together until combined. Add the water and oil in lots and knead until elastic. Place in a bowl in a warm, draught free area and allow to double in size, around 1-2 hours (it was a 40C/104F day so it rose unusually quickly taking just 45 minutes).
Step 2 - While the dough is rising, make the filling. If you are using fresh tomatoes, score around the tomato with a sharp knife and place into a pot of boiling water until the skin starts to peel back. Have a sinkful of cold water ready to put them and lift them out with tongs and place them in the water to cool and then peel off the skins.
Step 3 - Finely chop the onions and garlic. Removing the stem end and chop or blend the tomatoes. Add oil to the pot and then saute the onions and garlic until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes without a lid reducing the water content so that it is nice and thick. Season with sugar, salt and pepper to taste.
Step 4 - Preheat oven to 250C/482F. Oil a 9 inch springform tin. Sprinkle cornmeal on a clean surface and roll out the dough to a large circle that can fit your tin and then an additional 1.5 inches. Place the dough into the tin pressing down on the sides. Place the cheese on the base of the tin and then place the pepperoni. Then layer with the tomato filling. Brush the visible pastry with oil.
Step 5 - Bake for 10 minutes. Cover with foil and then bake for another 20 minutes. Stand for 10 minutes before slicing.